The Kansas City Royals are still awaiting medical results for third baseman Maikel Garcia.
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On Saturday, Garcia exited with a right hamstring strain against the Texas Rangers. He felt a “pop” as he rounded second base in the seventh inning.
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“Right after I hit the bag, I felt, like, the pop,” Garcia said. “So I just stopped running and just jumped into third base and tried to get there. And I didn’t want to still run and get it worse.”
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The Royals remain hopeful for positive results. Garcia is hitting .268 with three homers and 21 RBIs in 56 games.
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“He got an MRI this morning,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We have not had the results read yet. We’re hopeful for any minute now to get that, but he does feel better. I think it was a scary thing, you know. We talked about it postgame. Whenever that grabs, it feels like you’ve been stabbed or shot and it takes a little while for it to release and calm down.
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“So the treatments definitely helped. He came in feeling better today than he did yesterday.”
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Garcia recently moved to the third spot in the batting order. He was slated to hit behind Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. and provide more baserunners for the middle of the lineup.
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Instead, Quatraro was left to reconfigure his lineup again. Royals utilityman Nick Loftin drew the start at third base Sunday.
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“Nick’s defense has improved since the time we’ve got here,” Quatraro said. “And the way he’s worked with (Royals infield coach) Jose (Alguacil) to play first, second, third at a high level, very confident.”
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The Royals also have speedster Tyler Tolbert available off the bench. He can play both the infield and outfield as needed. The club could also utilize Isaac Collins if the situation calls for it.
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So the Royals have options if Garcia is sidelined for a short duration. However, the club will need to make a roster move if he ends up on the injured list.
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For now, Garcia is disappointed to miss playing time.
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“I’m the player that likes to play and, you know, I was getting my rhythm hitting,” Garcia said. “So it’s really hard to get off the field now for a couple of days or I don’t know how many days. Just stay positive and work in the training room.”
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Garcia is hoping it’s a minor strain. He said it felt like a similar injury from winter ball. Prior to Sunday’s game, Garcia was walking around without a noticeable limp or any additional limitations.
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The Royals will need Garcia to be able to run and change directions at full speed. It’s why the incoming results are important.
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“I don’t want to speculate on, you know, how severe it is,” Quatraro said. “But the way he feels today is very encouraging.”
Jaylon Thompson cubre a los Reales para The Kansas City Star. Anteriormente cubrió la Serie Mundial de 2021 y los Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 2016 en Río de Janeiro, Brasil. Jaylon es un orgulloso alumno de la Universidad de Georgia.
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